Heads up: Cricket considers greater safety for bowlers

A leading Australian cricket manufacturer says it is willing to help the sport's lawmakers, the Marylebone Cricket Club, develop helmets or face guards for bowlers should safety fears demand such action.

The MCC World Cricket committee has endorsed discussions between the Lord’s-based MCC and the England and Wales Cricket Club to begin a design project for manufacturers to develop head protection for bowlers. The MCC panel is chaired by former England captain Mike Gatting and features former Australian captain Ricky Ponting and Indian counterpart Sourav Ganguly.

Paceman Joe Mennie has been hit twice while bowling.Credit:AAP

The panel has assessed recent footage of accidents involving bowlers who have been hit in their delivery strides, particularly in Twenty20 cricket.

While discussions are in their infancy, Kookaburra Sport spokesman Shannon Gill said the leading manufacturer was open to suggestions – should bowlers require safety equipment.

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"We currently make helmets for batters and a whole range of protective equipment, our helmets are now being adopted by international players. So if this was a path the MCC were advising we'd be happy to work with them, understand what is needed and see how we can help," he said.

"Our role in cricket is to evolve with what the game needs and innovate accordingly, whether the game needs it is a debate the MCC, the ICC and the players themselves can have."

As noted by the MCC, Nottinghamshire fast bowler Luke Fletcher was felled and concussed by a sickening blow during England’s domestic Twenty20 competition last year. He was struck on the head in his follow by a powerful drive back down the ground, prompting him to later reveal: "It is probably a good thing I did not lift my head up, it could've been a lot worse. I got away with it and the doctors said I dodged a bullet."

Australian paceman Joe Mennie has twice been hit while bowling. He was the first player this year in England's County Championship to be substituted out of a match because of concussion, having been hit in the head during his follow-through while bowling for Lancashire. This came after he was left with a fractured skull and minor brain bleeding in January last year, having been hit in the head while bowling in the nets at the Gabba ahead of a Big Bash League semi-final.

While safety features for batsmen, fielders close to the bat and even umpires, the latter with face masks and shields, have intensified, there has been little thought given to bowlers.

That's changing in the T20 era, where free-wheeling batsmen with powerful blades could easily cause major damage, particularly with straight shots back at the bowler who may have not lifted his or her head fully in their follow through.

It remains to be seen if a bowler would use a helmet or more of a mask. In New Zealand, fast bowler Warren Barnes wore a helmet in domestic Twenty20 match last year, the headgear resembling a baseball umpire's visor and a track cyclist's helmet.

Manufacturers would need to ensure protective gear would remain fastened tightly amid so much head movement at the point of delivery.

Another suggestion has been to trial a softer ball but maintaining its weight, and therefore speed, has been an issue.

The MCC has also recommended a review of the current models of helmets worn by batsmen and fielders. Safety standards have increased in wake of Phillip Hughes' death in November, 2014.